Troop 1500 Screens at Kansas State University

The Kansas State Collegian reports that Troop 1500 is a part of the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program, which seeks to strengthen the bond between incarcerated mothers and their daughters in order to break the crime cycle. The film focuses on four different mothers, each of whom were being held for various crimes.

"I had no idea there was anything like this program," said Morgan Smith, sophomore in social work. "It's really good of the volunteers to take time to help out. The resources have to come from somewhere, and it's mostly thanks to the volunteers."

The event was organized by HandsOn K-State, a campus organization that connects campus and community volunteers with community needs.

Samantha Burkhalter, member of the leadership studies class Leadership in Practice and senior in women's studies, helped arrange the event.

Following the film, guest Latanya Skillern and her two daughters, Oriana and Summer, spoke about how the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program directly impacted their family.

"I was released from Topeka Correctional Facility on June 6, 2006," Skillern said. "Through the [Girl Scouts Beyond Bars] program, I got to build a strong connection with my daughters. They visited me every other Saturday, and that allowed time for us to heal. It was what we needed. We got to take advantage of it for four years. I'm a testimony to this program."

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